Holiday Gift Ideas for Your Favorite Commuter

Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza, or the solstice this time of year, you’ve probably been launched into gift-buying mode. With that in mind, we at Movability are offering some commute-relate ideas for the option-loving commuters in your life (or maybe for yourself!)

Stylish AND Practical Commuting Accessories

Urbanful has a lot of great ideas for Urban-o-philes and Urbanistas. Try an Austin map on canvas or urban accessories designed for urban living and much more.

This Eagle Creek garment folder (sizes small to large) easily fits in a backpack or pannier, and keeps a shirt/slacks even a suit looking sharp. It’s an easy way for bike commuters to bring a sharp set of work clothes with them.

Keep yourself and fellow commuters dry with the UnBRELLA. Umbrellas are an important part of a rainy walk to the bus stop – but once you step on board, you’ve created a dripping companion! This Japanese company has a solution – an umbrella that folds inside out to keep wet material inside, rather than soaking your pants leg. It even stands on its own.

Once you’re on the bus, how about a cuddly companion to help extend those snoozing hours? OK, you need a bold definition of stylish for this one, but it does look comfortable. The Ostrich pillow is a wearable, versatile pillow designed to catch ZZZZZs in all manner of public spaces. Pick from several shapes and sizes, depending on how alien you want to look.

Safety First

Revolights: December is a dark month, so what better time to try out a new and brighter form of LED bike lighting, hitched directly to your bike tires? These are absolutely cool lights that can also keep the bike rider in your life safe.

Give the gift of sight… or at least being seen. Walking should be one of the most enjoyable ways to get around; let’s just make sure our beloved pedestrians are safe and seen. Technology and the fashion industry give a lot of great new options, like reflective scarves from BetaBrand and Flyboys. For reflective fashion, check out lflect. And if you want to stick with the good ‘ole reflective vest, there are places to find those, too.

Give the Gift of Mobility

Turn someone into a Zipster or Car2Go member: Zipcar and Car2go are a good bet for anyone who wants to stay car-free with the occasional option of driving. Here’s the Zipcar holiday gift form and car2go’s membership page if you want to buy membership for a friend.

For when you want your commuter to pick up a few extra items on the way home: this bike can haul even a full load of groceries.

Fly over congestion with this alternative – the flying car! Straight out of the Jetsons and into your garage, this prototype reaches 70 mph on land and 100 mph in the sky. For just a few hundred thousand dollars, you could have one of the first road legal prototypes as early as 2017.

Get ready for your New Year’s Resolutions with a B-Cycle membership. Is “more exercise” on your list for 2015? Hit the ground rolling with a bike share membership (just $80/year). Instead of driving to lunch, hop on a B-Cycle and pedal the calories away. (Just don’t order too much queso with lunch!)

For the Artful Commuter

Pedestrian images for your wall: Here’s a gift that says, yes, pedestrians are important, and I know this so deeply I’ve taken the spirit from our streets and onto my walls. There are many grand vistas and signs. Just buy and apply to the surface of your choice.

Metro jewelry: This Etsy shop has recycled Washington, D.C. Metro transit tokens of old into a very cool gift for transit riders.

Spotlight

Our latest Commute Hero is actually a group of heroes: the folks at Capital Metro who are helping to make this time of year merry and bright for Central Texans. From Stuff the Bus, which helps provide food for families in need, to their work to increase frequency on Austin’s most-traveled routes, the busy elves […]

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